The present invention relates generally to splash guards adapted for mounting to vehicle fenders for protection against water borne road dirt and salt, and specifically to a custom molded splash guard provided in a template package to facilitate mounting of the guard to a variety of fender configurations.
Conventional vehicle splash guards are generally planar and include a broad lower portion and a relatively narrower upper portion adapted to be secured to the outer edge of the vehicle fender behind the wheel. A plurality of spaced screws or clip fasteners are used to mount the guard to the inner lip of the fender. The correct positioning of the splash guard upon the fender is important for functional as well as aesthetic reasons.
Recent trends in automotive styling have resulted in the introduction of custom molded splash guards, which are normally provided with three dimensional formations designed to integrate the lines of the splash guard with the lines of the fender or other trim, such as plastic rocker panel molding. Custom molded splash guards also are designed to provide the vehicle with a more substantial, "sporty" appearance, especially when used in conjunction with other molded accessories such as air dams and/or spoilers.
These formations add significant value to custom molded splash guards, enabling them to be sold at premium prices. Thus, greater accuracy is required in mounting custom molded splash guards, both for aesthetic reasons, as well as to avoid damage or destruction of the costlier guard through improper mounting. Further, improperly mounted splash guards may retain water against the vehicle fender, causing corrosion.
In an attempt to facilitate accurate mounting, conventional custom molded splash guards are provided in a range of size and shape formats to enable proper mounting on a wide variety of vehicle fender configurations. However, in many cases, provided the user has selected the proper format for his vehicle, additional trimming by the user is still required for accurate mounting.
Thus, there is a need for a custom molded splash guard which provides an attractive appearance to the vehicle, and which, when supplied in a single format, may be readily adapted for accurate mounting on a wide variety of vehicle fender configurations.